Designing and Developing your strategy to storage using theReflective Portfolio Worksheet – You can use this worksheet or use the worksheet as a guide and write your own plan for your Reflective Portfolio:

Read the “Collection of Learning Evidence” from Chapter One: Textbook for ideas of items to add to your list that is posted below.

For more information on “Collection of Evidence” consult The Complete Graduate Resource – Mission, Design, and Format of Your Best of Show Portfolio:http://thecompletegraduateresource.com/?page_id=147
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From The Complete Graduate: A Workbook for College Seniors
Chapter 1.2 Building Your Reflective Portfolio:

By Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick, copyright 2001

Collection of Learning Evidence: (A) Samples of College Work, Professional Work,
Volunteer Work, International Experiences, Military Work, etc.: (B) Photos, Videos
of College Work, Professional Work, Volunteer Work, International Experiences,
Military Work, etc.: (C) Narratives of Learning Experiences & Professional Mission

From The Complete Graduate: A Workbook for College Seniors
Chapter 1.2 Building Your Reflective Portfolio:

Your Collect section of your Reflective Portfolio should contain the following file tabs:
(Of course, you can customize your files to better fit your learning history)
What following sections will you include in your collection of learning evidence?
Include your ideas, notes, list of sample for the sections that apply to your learning
evidence:

Develop a professional mission statement. Once you have established that, make
an action plan to accomplish your goals.
Develop a Life Plan – 5 Year- 10 Year-Lifetime
Establish a library for life planning. Some suggested texts are:
Seven Habits of Effective People by Stephen Covey
Consult accompanying Website: http://franklincovey.com
For a concise overview of the Seven Habits
Consult: http://www.jboyett.com/covey.htm
Read: Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career
Design. Laurence G. Boldt. (1999). Penguin Putnam, Inc.: New York, New York.

After completing your Mapping College Learning section, writing your resume should
be an easier task. The information you list on your resume should all be supported by
evidence stored in your reflective portfolio.
Store copies of your resume as it evolves. This helps you understand your progress.
Use your college career center for advice on resume design.
Update your resume on a regular basis. This helps you to have your
resume ready when you need it. Over time you will begin to forget all your
accomplishments. Tracking your learning history is very important for appreciating
yourself and for marketing your talents. Don’t undervalue your experience.
Remember, you can think about your experience as transferable skill experience.
Select the resume style that best showcases your talents. Consider writing a career
profile statement that introduces you in the first item of your resume.
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is used in higher education. If you plan on attending
graduate school, you should prepare a CV. The typical page length of a CV is from
three to ten pages. You provide much more detail of your academic research,
presentations and experiences on a CV. You could almost consider it a “mini’ Best of
Show Portfolio. For more information on writing a CV, refer to chapter 4.1 Is
Graduate School for Me?
For each entry on your resume, provide evidence in your Best of Show Portfolio.
Consider posting your resume to your school Job-Track Site or their equivalent site.
Consult our chapter on resume writing included in Section Three: Time to Start
Career-Hunting; consult the section entitled The Resume.

3. Life Before College: _____________________________________________

Collect evidence of your learning interests as far back as you can remember. There are not time limits for this file. Many of your
interests surface in your childhood. Collect samples of your work, fun, and accomplishments before college. This evidence file
can provide an academic road map for you to follow your passions.

Collect samples of your work from elementary school
Collect samples of your work from high school
Collect samples of your community activities

4. College Transcripts and a Description of University Courses:

Get a copy of your official transcript for your reflective portfolio.
Get a copy of your unofficial transcript
If you have attended other colleges or universities, get a copy of your transcripts
Keep a College Catalog for every college your have attended
Keep all paperwork pertaining to your graduation, i.e. Petition of Graduate,
General Education Audit or whatever equivalent paperwork that is required by
your university.

It is essential that track what you studied in college. This helps your remember, provide
evidence for others to understand what you have learned, makes great materials when
applying for graduate school, is a great source for transferable skills.
In this section include the following information about your learning history while in
college:

Your Course Descriptions: write up a summary statement for each course you took
while in college. This will help your remember and better explain your skills and
knowledge base to others.

Your Learning History in the Courses: refer to Mapping Your College
Learning Experience to assist in this section of your portfolio.

5. Course Work Samples and Course Syllabi:___________________________

Collect samples of written assignment, speech assignments; slide shows, group projects,
and research projects. This shows your versatility in content and process in your
coursework.

Include your work in your Academic Discipline
Include your work in your General Education Courses.
Include your work in your Elective Courses.
Include your work in Internships and Coop Programs.
Include your work in Study Abroad Program.

Your Course Syllabi: useful for tracking your learning history, explaining it to
others, and for use in graduate school to underscore your range of study.

6. Professional Experience and Samples of Work:__________________________

 Employment Samples: Collect samples of your employment experiences. Write
your narrative of your work experience if you don’t have written samples.

 Include Military Service, Employment, and Entrepreneurial Experiences.

 Track your decisional style and the connection to your work produced. Are you
always the team leader? Do you prefer to be a team player? What work was done
individually? What was done within groups?

 What work was self-directed? What work was assigned? Did you make
deadlines? Track your decisions and concrete samples of the resulting work.
7. List of References and Letters of Reference:___________________________

Keep a current list of references
Periodically, update your reference list regarding any interviews you will
be on. This gives your references a heads up for any upcoming phone or
letter request regarding your interview.
References should be from academic experience, work experience,
community service experience, and military experience.

What is a letter of reference?

A person writes a letter of reference that honors your character and skills.

What is a letter of recommendation?

A person writes a letter for specific opportunity for you, such as employment, military
service, graduate school, public service, and scholarships for graduate school or advanced
study. Ethos or your Credibility is a great Sales Tool for You! Testimony from a credible
source is one of the best methods of assisting others in making important decisions about
you.

Aristotle noted that your ethos or credibility is one of the most powerful methods of
persuading others, so get those reference letters!

The letters are great for you to read so you can honor your accomplishments!

Ask for letters of reference for your employment supervisors, professors, colleagues,
satisfied customers, and community service supervisors. Collecting these letters of
reference provide evidence of your character and skills. It takes time to gather these
letters put get in the habit of doing so. Also, the people writing your letters then become
your list of references.

When you need letters of recommendation, these same people are a great resource.

 Ask for your reference letters today. People sometimes take a while to produce them.
 Ask for the reference letter in writing. Give guidance as to what you would like
address such as character, results of a project, and your skills.

If a person asks you to write the letter, and says they will sign it, get another
reference! That means they really don’t know you and when asked about you
probably won’t remember what was written since you wrote the letter!

Get in the habit of collecting these letters. People retire and quite and then your history is
lost. Testimony is great for establishing and supporting your credibility.

8. Collections of Certificates, Awards, Degrees:____________________

To continue your ethos/credibility story, include samples of certificates, awards, and
degrees. If you don’t have many, then make a plan to get some.

Research current issues in organizational governance on the local, state, regional,
national, and international levels. What kind of leadership roles can you take on in this
organization?

List the organizations that participated in while in school and/or join an organization that
relates to Career/graduate School. Refer to Section One: Reflecting on Your College
Experience; consult the section on Benefiting from Your Clubs and Organizations. Fill
out the included assignment in that section which helps you chart the skills you
developed from your experiences in student and professional organizations. Import that
resulting information to your Mapping College Learning Experience, to help you see
your big learning picture.

10. Your Community Service and Samples of Work: _____________________
and international levels.

Include volunteer work you have done and/or visit College Volunteer Office and
volunteer for a project.

Are your registered to vote? Have you voted? Do you keep up with the new bills being
passed on the local, state, and national? What do you know about the current
international treaties and agreements? Are you interested in what lobbyists do for
organizations? Would you get involved in petitioning for new laws? What are you doing
to ensure that all humans enjoy Earth’s resources? How will you be using your education
and career for assuring a sustainable world?

Consult the local, state, and national areas of the United States Government to stay
current on new legislation. A great resource for on legislative activities in the United
States is: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/legis_edu.html
Develop a Civic Engagement Plan of Action for your National Citizenship. Are
you interested in local, regional, state, national, and global issues? Make a plan
because we need great leaders like you! What local, regional, state, or national
issues need new legislation to improve the quality of life for Americans? Consult
the Website from the Center for Democracy and Citizenship from the Hubert H.
Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota:

http://www.publicwork.org/

What is your current definition of Global Citizenship? Consult the article
Education for Global Citizenship and Social Responsibility by Julie Andrzejewski
and John Alessio, two professors from the University of Vermont. Published on
behalf of the John Dewey Monographs, the authors produce a powerful definition
of global citizenship, as well as, arguing for the importance of its inclusion in
college curriculum. See: http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/monographs/glomono.html

Students in my senior seminar have confirmed that the Organisation for Economic
Development (OCED) is a great resource for tracking global issues in education,
agriculture, politics, environment, including academic papers on defining
globalization, consult: http://www.oecd.org
Consult the Website of the non-profit organization Second Nature: Education for
Sustainability for information on using your education and subsequent career to
preserve and protect the Earth’s resources, thus, guaranteeing a decent quality of
life for all humans. See: http://secondnature.org

12. Skill You Plan on Developing:_____________________________

These are the skills that college graduates should develop while in college. If some of
these are works in progress for you, contact your career and technology centers for
further training. Most colleges have a wide array of non-credit training in this area.

Interviewing skills: Practice your interviewing skills by using your college career
center. Collect as much information on interviewing skills as possible.
Start an interviewing diary where your record what you learned by going on
interviews. Refer to Section Three: Time to Start Career-Hunting for tips on the
interviewing process.

Business etiquette: Practice business etiquette by taking seminars provided by your
college. Collect information on behavior at conferences, business dining,
handshaking, thank-notes, business gifts, and understanding international business
etiquette. (See Business Etiquette Checklist in Section Three: GO: Time to Start
Career Hunting)

Financial planning: Focus on your personal finances, negotiating salaries and raises,
purchasing an auto and/or house, and planning for retirement. Get a credit check of
yourself. Develop a budget and stay out of debit. If you are in debt, learn how to get
out quickly. Use the variety of sources to help you graduate debt free. Make sure
these places are reputable. Guard your credit rating! Refer to Section Six: Achieving
Success in the First-Year; consult the section on Becoming Financially Fit for tips on
financial planning.

Organizational Skills: Analyze your personal, work, and time management skills.
Gather information about improving your skills. Collect samples of your great
organizational skills. Develop a narrative of your organizational skills that showcase
your talents and clearly connect you to the career you want. Refer to Section Two:
Taking Stock: Essential Attributes of the Complete Graduate consult the chapter
2.1 Putting Your Organizational Skills to Work for You.

Technology Skills: Collect samples of your accomplishments using technology.
Continue to get as much training in this area. Consult your college for credit and non-
credit training that is offered. Show evidence of your willingness to learn technology.
Remember that technology is the new literacy we all need to develop with it!
Consider making an electronic portfolio or CD/DVD for your Best of Show Portfolio.

This is a great way to showcase your technology skills. Refer to suggested readings at
the end of this chapter, see the text Electronic Portfolios: Emerging Practices in
Student, Faculty, and Institutional Learning.

Transferable Skills: Reflect on your college courses, community service,
employment, and internship/co-op experiences. Write a narrative of the skills you
have developed in these areas. Your will have a rich story to tell when asked “Do you
have 2 to 5 years experience in this area?” Refer to Mapping College Learning
Experiences: Viewing Expertise-Understanding Transferable Skills-Triangulating
Citizenship and Career-Locally, Nationally, and Globally. This learning map is
located in previous chapter. The learning map is designed to help you chart your
learning experience during your time in college and import this learning to your new
chapter in life as citizen and professional.

Communication Skills: In most national surveys of employers of college graduates,
the number on skill they are seeking is mastering of communication skills. This
includes excellent one-on-one skills, presentation skills, group skills, leadership
skills, and self-directed skills. Develop these skills! Join Toastmasters! Gather
samples of your work that demonstrate your ability in these areas. Make a plan to
polish the communication skills that will enhance your success in the world. Refer to
Section Two: Taking Stock; consult the sections on People Skills and Team working
Skills, Public Speaking Survival Kit, and Leadership in the New Millennium.

Critical Thinking Skills: Write a reflection diary on how you make decisions in your
personal and professional life. Make a connection between how you make decisions
and what type of career settings that would embrace your style. Do you like to make
decisions alone, in groups, and/or be accountable to an organization? Would you
rather make decisions for your own business? For a corporation? Do your need plenty
of time to make a decision? Do you like fast decisions? Consult the research on the
connection between your decisional style and types of careers best suited for you.
Read the work of Dr. Herbert Simon, Nobel Winner on Decision-Making. His book
on Administrative Decision-Making is a must of college graduates. Refer to Section
Two: Taking Stock; consult the section on Problem Solving and Decision-Making
Abilities.

Are you considering Graduate School? If so, start researching universities, career
options, and funding.
Are you considering a post-university internship? Some businesses are offering
this as an option for new college graduates. Consider researching this possibility
to explore new options career wise and educationally.
Are you considering Continuing Education? If so, in what areas would you like to
study? For career development, personal development, or just plain fun?

In conclusion, for some interesting reflective readings to enrich your transitional
experience in education I recommend the following:

On the Origin of Citizenship in Education: Isocrates, Rhetoric, and Kairos
By Lance Massey, Journal of Public Affairs, Southwest Missouri State University
Consult: http://cicero.smsu.edu/journal/articles97/massey.html

Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education
By John Dewey, first published in 1916, second publishing 1944, The Free Press-
Simon & Schuster: New York. Dewey provides a great discussion for the connection
between education, citizenship, and career. He discusses that education is about self-
development and “experiencing with” others, for learning how to work together as
productive citizens. For an online copy of this text produced at Columbia University,
consult:http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/projects/digitexts/dewey/de/contents.html

Congratulations! You are now on the road to maintaining your Reflective Portfolio!
Honor your history and your future by keeping this a constant process in your life after
college.

Now that you have completed your Reflective Portfolio you should have a
concise perspective of your accomplishments and be able to:

View Your Expertise Development during College
View Your Expertise Development in your Major.
View Your Expertise Development in your Employment History
View Your Expertise Development in your Community Service
Experiences.
Record Your Theoretical Learning Development
Record Your Skills Learning Development
Record Your Work Samples in College, Employment, Military Service,
and Community Service
Understand and Identify Your Specific Marketable Skills – Academic
Major Expertise
Understand and Identify Your General Marketable Skills Employers want -
Communication Skills, Critical Thinking and Decision-Making,
Quantitative Skills, Teamwork Skills, and Technology Skills
Triangulate Your Career and Citizenship Goals – Locally, Nationally,
Globally
Create a Baseline for Your College Portfolio: Reflective-Private Portfolio
and Best of Show-Public Portfolio, which you will be in the next chapter.